HANOVER (Germany), May 24 (Bernama-dpa) -- Two activists from a Gaza aid flotilla who were deported by Israel to Turkiye have returned to Germany, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
Supporters greeted activists Nesrin Zeaiter and Uwe Sander at Hanover airport with chants of "Free Palestine" on Saturday.
According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, the two were part of the aid flotilla that was stopped by the Israeli navy in international waters earlier this week.
The activists had sought to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, but were detained by Israel and deported to Turkiye.
Global Sumud Germany said activists from the flotilla had reported mistreatment, assaults and torture by Israeli security forces following their detention. Zeaiter was allegedly beaten, bitten by dogs and injured with stab wounds.
The German Foreign Office confirmed on Friday that activists from Germany had been injured and again criticised what it described as the degrading treatment of detainees in Israel.
After arriving in Hanover, Zeaiter told reporters that flotilla activists had been tortured. She said she had been blindfolded and had her hands tied before being beaten and humiliated by soldiers after being taken onto an Israeli boat.
Sander said his boat, which was carrying aid supplies for Gaza, was fired on with rubber bullets by Israeli forces. He said soldiers boarded the vessel and detained the seven passengers, before he was later kicked and beaten.
Around 430 activists on more than 50 boats sought to reach Gaza with aid supplies, according to the flotilla.
Global Sumud Germany said in response to an inquiry that other activists had already returned to Germany, while more were expected to return in the coming days. The organisation is calling for an investigation into what happened.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
